A Ukrainian soldier inspects fragments of a downed aircraft in Kyiv
(Picture: AP)Russia has detained a manager at an aircraft factory on suspicion of passing secret military information to Ukraine, state news agencies have reported.
Officials said the man was suspected of taking photographs of equipment from Russia’s fighter planes and sending them to a Ukrainian citizen who worked at an aviation plant.
The Russian Federal Security Agency (FSB) said it had opened a treason case against the suspect.
It comes as Ukraine continues to push back Russian forces after launching a successful counter-offensive in the Kharkiv region.
As the counter-attack continued, President Volodymyr Zelensky declared: "The world is amazed by our warriors. The enemy is in a panic.
"They will call it a gesture of goodwill. We will call it victory."
Regional governor of the north-east Kharkiv region, Oleh Syniehubov, said: "In some areas of the front, our defenders reached the state border with the Russian Federation."
After Russia attacked power stations and other civilian infrastructure on Sunday, knocking out electricity in many places across Ukraine, the Kyiv authorities said power and water had been restored to 80 per cent of the Kharkiv region.
But there were further missile strikes on Kharkiv on Monday aimed at disrupting power and water supplies.
Ukraine’s Defence Minister, Oleksii Reznikov, said the priority now was to secure the territorial gains made in a week of rapid advances in Kharkiv.
There were reports that the Russian army had abandoned equipment and ammunition as it withdrew from areas held since the first weeks of the war. There were also claims that retreating Russian troops had been looting.
Following the Ukraine losses, Vladimir Putin was said to have sacked Lieutenant General Roman Berdnikov, who had been in the job for just 16 days.
And there were reports that municipal deputies from 18 districts of Moscow and Saint Petersburg signed a public statement demanding that Putin resign.
Mr Zelensky had a direct message for the Russian president. He said: "Do you still think you can intimidate, break us, force us to make concessions?
"Did you really not understand anything?
“Don’t you understand who we are? What we stand for? What we are talking about?
"Read my lips - cold, hunger, darkness and thirst for us are not as scary and deadly as your ‘friendship’ and ‘brotherhood’. We will be with gas, lights, water and food... and without you."
